


Child of Gold and Jade

by Kelseyalicia



Series: One-shots for friends [13]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Daughters, Dragons, F/M, Family, Gift Fic, Guardians - Freeform, Married Couple, Married Life, New Baby, One Shot Collection, Protective Parents, Spirit World, Spirits, Voice Acting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24943114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelseyalicia/pseuds/Kelseyalicia
Summary: Fire Lord Zuko and his wife, Fire Lady Akiko, celebrate the birth of their daughter with their friends and loved ones.
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: One-shots for friends [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777261
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Child of Gold and Jade

**Author's Note:**

> This is my 13th one-shot in my collection of one-shots. For the whole story, this one is connected too read "When Gold Met Jade: A Love Story that saved the world" and "Wedding of Gold and Jade. Enjoy. When Gold Met Jade is my second most favorite story with 95 favorites. It currently has 104 reviews and 15,159 hits. Wedding of Gold and Jade has 53 reviews, 2016 hits, and 26 favorites.
> 
> Gletters did the picture

It was an idyllic April day in the Fire Nation. Currently, Fire Lady Akiko was curled up beneath a cherry blossom tree in the royal gardens reading a book. These fleeting moments of lulling were treasured considering all her husband Fire Lord Zuko, and she had to do.

They'd achieved much throughout their young lives even if they'd to experience ultimate suffering as well. Zuko and Akiko could sincerely say they'd the most despicable fathers in the history of fathers when it came to their biological fathers. Ozai had been the human embodiment of Anto, the Black Spirit of Death. Moreover, her father, Zhao, with his delusions of grandeur, narcissism, and over-inflated egotism, was just as atrocious. Given he abandoned his wife and unborn child immediately after he got married.

Happily, when Zuko and Akiko met on Ember Island at age five, it had been love at first sight for them. Their parents Ursa and Iroh, had raised and loved them as much as their godmother Xiaoying had. Also, Akiko knew her late mother, Sakiko, was watching over her from the Spirit World. She was both her spirit guide and defender. She knew that for a fact, having met her in person. She'd slipped into a coma after the Demon possessed Zuko's mind and twisted him into taking down Ba Sing Sa.

That, however, was ancient history now. They'd fulfilled Avatar Roku's prophecy by restoring the Fire Nation's humanity. Team Avatar since then strived to restore the world unitedly. So far, their efforts had shown multiple positive outcomes. As anticipated, they'd several hiccups here and there, but restoring the world wasn't going to be easy.

For that matter, them getting married hadn't been straightforward either. Not with the dangerous New Ozai Society seeking to claim an ancient relic with the power to grant one irreversible wish. Fortunately, Team Avatar had saved the day, and they'd been married. Again their past didn't matter at the moment. It was here, and now that matter. They'd learned from the past to do excellently in the present so they could build a more enjoyable future.

Quieting her mind, she sought to enjoy reading her book. The OWL scholar Kami, currently the headmaster of the Royal Fire Nation University, had unearthed an antique book honoring her ancestors: The Dragon Guardians. The Dragon Guardians had been an elite society of firebending warrior women with pure dragon fire from the dragons of themselves. They'd their unique style of firebending. Plus, their method of armed combat was unmatched.

Being the Last Dragon Guardian herself, Akiko devoured any books she could locate about her ancestry. Whether it the family chronicles or, in this case, something from the Royal Archives. Her current chapter described the coming of age ceremony all Guardians underwent when they turned thirteen. According to her reading, when a girl turned thirteen, the Dragons presented to them their blade and armor. How the first firebenders forged the armor and swords, making each one unique as the soul that wields them, wasn't explained in detail, though dragons were marvelous creatures and had countless secrets of their own.

"Hmm, I wonder if Zuka would help me fashion a new sword and armor for the baby," she said out loud, thoughtfully. Placing a hand on her swollen belly, she couldn't help but smile. She and Zuko were expecting their first child in a few weeks. Everyone in the Fire Nation couldn't wait for the birth of the new heir to the throne. Of course, all their friends promised to come for the delivery and the welcoming ceremony.

Though what truly excited Akiko was, in fact, according to Healer Yang, their child would be a little girl. They trusted Healer Yang, leader of the Sisterhood of the Dawn and apprentice to the White Spirit of Life, Alanna, with all their hearts. Also, giving that Healer Yang was the human vessel for whenever Alanna desired to socialize with humans, then, of course, she knew the baby was female. She was the Spirit of Life moreover knew about everything ever born!

"Something on your mind, Akiko?" a male voice abruptly whispered into her left ear. She jumped a little before noticing two colorful animals at her feet. It was Kai and Ting-Ting, her spirit animal guides. It was comical that Kai, a fox-hawk, was pink and lilac even though he was male. Ting-Ting a female rabaroo whose fur was chocolate-brown and amber.

"Hey, you two, how you are doing?" as she caressed the top of their heads. "We're incredibly thrilled for you, of course. We can't wait for the new baby!" Ting-ting did a few backflips to express her joyfulness. Kai preened his left wing's feathers before asking seriously. "Do you think your daughter will inherit your gifts?"

"You mean, do I think she'll be a firebender, or she'll acquire my spiritual capabilities?" Akiko replied, knowing precisely what her spirit guides wanted to know. Truthfully everyone in their family was wondering the same thing.

"Chances are high; the child will be a firebender, Akiko. You are The Last Dragon Guardian. Furthermore, every child of those chosen by the Dragons themselves is born with Dragon Fire inside them."

"True, Kai. No one in the Royal Line has ever been a non-bender, either. However, Zuko and I don't care if our future daughter is a firebender or not. We will love them for who they are. Ultimately, Kai, Zuko, and I want to do what our father told us to do back when we freed Appa." The two spirits nodded, recollecting how Iroh, who'd been the couple's true father, gave an inspirational speech to them about fathers, family, love, and choices.

Akiko's jade green eyes swelled with tears as she recalled that moment herself from her childhood. So few ember moments in their youth, and all she desired was her child to have a different kind of life. She snapped the book shut and gradually got up. "I need to locate Zuky. Do you know where he is?" she questioned her friends, who shook their heads. "Can you find him for me?" Nodding, the spirits vanished and reported back five minutes later.

They reported she could locate Zuko chatting to the same man who did the furnishing for their betrothal ceremony. There is an abundance of traditions to follow for a betrothal ceremony, but one component is that the couple is given tons of brand-new furniture articles. She waddled down the corridor until she unearthed her husband conversing with a woodworker regarding some furniture for the baby. "Zuky? Can we speak?" she called out.

Whirling around, he gazed at her anxiously. Zuko had become way too overprotective since they discovered she was with child. The Fire Lord sincerely loved his wife and people, but becoming a father took his protective instincts to a whole new level. "Akiko! You should be taking it easy! The doctors said..." he started to say to her, and she held up a hand. She pressed her fingers to his lips to shush him and smiled.

"Zuko, I've done all that the royal physicians and Healer Yang have ordered me to do. Believe nothing is going to happen to our daughter, I promise," she spoke, pacifying. He seems to calm down some, so she suggested, " Now shall we go offer our prayers to Agni?"

"Yes, we should do that, my fire lily. Let's go," as they traveled to their shrine. They'd had this shrine constructed shortly after their coronation. Every sunrise and sunset, as long as they're home, they'd chanted prayers to Agni and beseech their loved ones in the Spirit World to watch over their friends and family. Since Akiko had become pregnant, they'd been doing extra praying that pretty typical in the Fire Nation when expecting a child.

The royal couple keeled down in front of the blood-red stones with their ancestors' names inscribed on them as the dragon incense burner burned. "Oh, Great Agni, father to all of the nation, we once again ask you to bless this child of ours. We ask you to ensure safe delivery and a healthy child.

We ask our loved ones in the Spirit World to watch over this child. To protect and guide them along their path to their destiny. We ask you both bestowed us with your wisdom and grace, so we may be the best parents we can be. Thank you."

As they exited the shrine, Akiko turned to her husband, "I've to go check on the rookery. Zuka's grandchildren need to check on, also its the most dependable location I can communicate with the ghosts of the Dragon Guardians."

"You desire to converse with your birth mother, correct?"

"Yes, Zuko. It will only take an hour. I'll meet you for midday tea with the family. I need to check on the eggs and communicate with my mother."

"I understand, I'll go check on a few things before joining the rest of the family for afternoon tea," as they kissed, and Akiko headed to the rookery.

During the concluding year of the Hundred Year War, Akiko, Zuko, and Aang had traveled to uncover the origins of firebending. Only Aang, who'd been sworn to secrecy, knew the Dragon Guardians' complicated and heartbreaking story. Furthermore, how their families were connected to him. Even after all these years, Aang had kept his promise of not telling Katara the truth that he was spiritually related to Zuko or that Sozin had perpetrated three genocides.

Fire Lord Sozin's three genocides were of the Air Nomads, the Dragons, and the Dragon Guardians. Their pointless slaying had all been horrendous furthermore unpardonable, but each had had its unique, tragic circumstance. When it came to the Dragon Guardians? The barbarity concerning their deaths seemed even worse concerning the Air Nomads. Aang's people were all mindlessly executed, and an entire civilization wiped from the face of the Earth, but that didn't mean her people hadn't endured an equally horrifying fate.

Directly after his former best friend and brother's assassination in flames, Avatar Roku, Fire Lord Sozin, then proclaimed dragon-hunting to be lawful. Before, no one had ever considered hunting the holy creatures. The death sentence Fire Lord Sozin gave the dragons was nothing compared to what he permitted to happen to their Guardians. For every dragon slain, a Dragon Guardian had been battered, violated, and butchered.

Akiko's bloodline had only been spared because they're the Guardians' rightful leaders. Both the OWL and Dragon Guardians jointly decided the Grand Yon and their charge would go into hiding. With the burning hope, they'd one day be able to resurrect all that been lost.

Which is why Akiko had been tasked to raise the last masters, Ran and Shaw's hatchling. She named the gorgeous dragon Zuka after Zuko. She'd then implemented her spiritual abilities on her birthday, the summer solstice, to grant life to Avatar Roku's Dragon Fang. By doing so, Zuka and Fang succeeded in mating and had children. Only on the holiest day to the Fire Nation was this achievable. Therefore every summer solstice, the ritual was enacted. Until the day the dragon population could sustain itself.

Reaching the Dragon Rookery's inner sanctum, Akiko invoked the spirits of her people. Only here could their souls' crossover and existed due to this geographical area being a spiritual anchor. "Hello, my sisters. Welcome, I've news to discuss with you," the Fire Lady welcomed her fallen sisters as she bowed courteously.

"What do you wish to discuss, daughter?" Sakiko's spirit approached her daughter. Mother and daughter looked virtually identical in looks. Several generations of Akiko's family had exceptional beauty, plus their trademark jade green eyes.

Akiko gave the short version of her story about how she was expecting a daughter of her own. Her daughter would've several famous bloodlines flowing through her veins. She wondered what gifts her child might inherit. Also, if the future Fire Lady could carry on both legacies of her parents.

The fallen warriors and her mother reassured her that her child would be a miracle no matter what. Her daughter would bring about a new dawn for all her people. No matter her heritage, the child would bring honor to them all. Feeling better, she went to have tea with the rest of her family. Three weeks later, she gave birth to their daughter, named Izumi, because she was born in the spring.

Healer Yang had been the one to bring her into the world as she was the best midwife in all the Fire Nation. Healer Yang performed the ordained rituals of Alanna the White Spirit of Life on the newborn. Then handed the brand-new princess over to the imperial physicians who did their job of making sure medically the new princess was healthy—9 lbs, 20 ounces, and 21 inches long.

In the opinion of her parents, Izumi did much resemble her mother. Still, for the first time in Akiko's family history, a daughter didn't inherit their trademark jade green eyes. Instead, Izumi inherited her father's golden eyes. For the new parents, what Izumi looked like didn't matter. Seeing her smiling and laughing only hours after her birth filled them with such rapture. For it was genuinely new dawn had begun for the Fire Nation and little Izumi be the ray of sunshine to bring them into the future truly.

Akiko- Me

Sakiko- Ming-Na Wen- Mulan

Kai- Trwilson881-DA friend

Ting-Ting- Kali, my twin sister


End file.
